Double Take
by Zip Goes A Million
Summary: Gwen convinces Sybil to go on a blind double date, with two men - William is set up with Sybil and Tom with Gwen. During the date, they realise that perhaps they've been set up with the wrong men, but how do they manage the situation?


Alright, I know I haven't been active on here in ages, but life has been really busy. I was given this idea by The Yankee Countess through Tumblr. So, in a way, this is dedicated to her, as this idea seems to have given me my writing mojo back! So, thanks, darling! Please review if you like this story - I love hearing your opinions.

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 **Double Take**

Sybil and Gwen were in Sybil's small kitchen, enjoying their Saturday afternoon together, just like they did most Saturdays. Sybil was making tea and Gwen was stealing grapes from Sybil's fridge. Sybil stopped in her tracks suddenly when Gwen suggested something that Sybil never thought she would hear coming from Gwen.

"A blind double date?" Sybil asked indignantly. She spun on the spot and stared at her red-headed friend, the milk bottle with which she had made the tea still in her hand. "A _blind_ double date? Are you absolutely mad? I don't do blind dates," she said, eyes wide and thoughts defensive.

"You've been on a blind date before. Remember… oh, what was his name?" Gwen tried to recall which first date of Sybil's had been the blind one. Over the past year or so, Sybil had gone on her fair share of first dates, but only one or two seconds. Gwen clicked her fingers and said smugly, "Larry! Come on you've got to remember that!"

"How could I ever forget that?" Sybil said, turning back to the tea on the side. "That was my first and only blind date, and it's the reason I point blank refuse to go on any more."

"Oh, come on, Syb, I've already agreed to go," Gwen pouted.

"Hang on, who's setting this up?" Sybil asked, suddenly realising that Gwen didn't know either of the men they were going to be going out with.

"A friend from work."

"So you don't know anything about these men?" Sybil asked, more and more sceptical with every word Gwen said.

"Well, I know that one of them is a journalist called Tom and the other is a chef called William."

"That's all you know?"

"Pretty much…" Gwen said sheepishly, suddenly realising that she perhaps shouldn't have accepted the offer of a blind double date until she knew a bit more about the dates in question.

"Well, I'm not going," Sybil said, putting the milk away and handing Gwen her tea.

"You've got to come with me!" Gwen begged, following Sybil back into the sitting room.

"No way!" Sybil said firmly. "I'll go on another blind date when hell freezes over! Take Daisy or Anna. I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

"But William and Tom have been told about us. _Both_ of us. They're expecting to meet a secretary called Gwen and a medical student called Sybil. Come on, you've got to come! Please? Pretty please? If it goes wrong you can blame me, but I can't show up on my own when there are two guys waiting," Gwen pleaded.

Sybil narrowed her eyes at her friend, before giving in. "Fine!" she huffed dramatically. "But if this all goes to pot, I'm never going to let you live it down."

"Yay!" Gwen cheered. "According to Eliza," she paused to get out her phone to double check the text, "Tom is for me and William is for you."

"William's for me," Sybil repeated, just to make sure she'd got it. "And William's the journalist?"

"No, William's the chef. Tom's the journalist," Gwen corrected.

Sybil frowned. "Well that's a bad start. Are you sure this is a good idea? Maybe you really should take someone else."

"I can't, Syb. There's no time to change now anyway. The date's tonight!"

"Tonight?!" Sybil nearly choked on her tea, and what she didn't choke on, she spilled on the sofa and the carpet. "Crap," she muttered under her breath.

Gwen ran to grab a damp cloth to help clear up the mess. "Yes, tonight."

"Nothing like short notice," Sybil said sternly, chastising Gwen for her planning skills, or lack thereof.

"Well, it was only confirmed for me yesterday, and I know that if I'd given you a night to sleep on it, you'd have wriggled out if it," Gwen justified.

"You know, sometimes I wish you didn't know me so well," Sybil said with a smile.

"That's what happens when you're best friends with one person for practically your whole life," Gwen said with a smirk, as she scrubbed at the carpet in an attempt to prevent a stain from forming.

"Yeah, shame really. I probably ought to get a new one," Sybil teased, causing Gwen to reach over and shove her with surprising force for such a slight character. "Hey!" Sybil exclaimed. "You know I love you!"

"Yeah, I know!" Gwen replied, totally immodestly.

As they finished clearing the tea up and putting away dirty cloths, Sybil said, "Where are we going, what time and what do I wear?"

"It's near Mary's place actually. I've never been there before. I have no idea what it's like, but I've been told it's quite posh, so I'm going nice dress and heels."

"And what time?"

"Um, they're picking us up from mine at seven. So get yourself to mine by seven and we should be fine," Gwen said.

Sybil squinted at Gwen in scepticism.

"Look," Gwen said with her hands up in surrender, "They're going to drive us there and bring us back, like the gentlemen I'm sure they are."

Sybil crossed her arms and huffed, but conceded without too much questioning. If there was one person who could deal with Sybil's stubbornness, it was Gwen.

As soon as Gwen had left, Sybil ran herself a bath, deciding that it was probably the only relaxing thing she'd be doing this evening. First dates were hard enough, but a _blind_ first date was a whole different level. Especially as her experience of blind dates had been both limited and poor. As her bath filled with warm water, coated in a layer of bubbles, she opened her wardrobe to find a suitable dress. All of the dresses stared back at her with their faults. Too short; too tight; too much cleavage; stops one from walking properly; proven to be bad luck in the past. Her options were limited. She wanted to make a good impression. Though she had her doubts, she couldn't push out of her head the thought that this date may lead to more. There'd be no point in just throwing the evening away. Now that she was knee deep, she may as well go the whole way. She narrowed her options down to three dresses. The first was black, form fitting and stopped at mid-thigh. She knew she looked good in it, but maybe it was a bit too short for a first date. The second was a floor length gown, the colour of red wine, formed from layer upon layer of delicate chiffon. It was a pain to get on and off, but it showed off all her best assets. The third option was a royal blue knee length dress with a sequined bodice and a knee-length full skirt. She only had one pair of shoes to match, and they were horribly uncomfortable to wear for longer than five minutes. She'd have to make a final decision after her bath.

Once she'd finished her bath, she threw on a baggy T-shirt just for while she did her hair and makeup. She styled her hair into voluminous waves, which she let fall free around her shoulders. She always found that she was more relaxed when her hair wasn't tightly pulled back, and she needed to try to stay as relaxed as possible this evening in a bid to make everything go smoothly. Her makeup wasn't massively changed from her everyday look. She made her eyes more pronounced, used more blusher than usual and used a light mulberry coloured lip stick. At this point, she had already decided upon the red wine chiffon dress. The zip was a pain to do up alone, but she had no choice. It took a while, with gentle encouragement, but eventually the dress was on. She checked her hair and makeup in the mirror and suddenly realised that she hadn't cleaned her teeth.

 _I did not think this through._

She went to the bathroom to clean her teeth and then had to reapply her lipstick. She glanced at the clock and realised that she should probably be leaving soon if she wanted to get to Gwen's in good time. She rustled through her drawers to find her plain black shawl, which would give her an excuse to wear her comfiest black heels, which she kicked into the middle of the room, but wouldn't put on just yet. She packed some top up makeup into a handbag with her phone, keys and some money (just in case) and looked at herself again in the mirror, realising that she had not put any jewellery on. She found an understated pair of black gem earrings and a simple necklace to match. She put on her heels, wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and made her way towards the front door.

Once she was almost at Gwen's, she realised that she was probably going to drink too much to drive, so if their dates dropped them both back at Gwen's, she would have to crash there (not that it mattered – it happened often enough that each of the girls had pyjamas and a toothbrush set aside for the other in their homes). And if they were going to drop Sybil back at her own house, she'd have to find a way to get her car back from Gwen's tomorrow. Either way, she knew Gwen wouldn't mind. Why have a best friend if you can't crash at theirs or leave your car on their drive every once in a while?

Sybil soon arrived at Gwen's and she didn't even have to ring the doorbell before the door was flung open and Gwen embraced her in an excited hug.

"Sybil, you look gorgeous!" Gwen said with a grin plastered across her face.

"So do you!" Sybil replied with a smile crossing her lips. Gwen was wearing a long sleeved, form fitting, emerald green, knee length dress which offset the colour of her hair, which was pulled into a low bun to show off her extravagant diamond dangly earrings. The earrings matched her necklace and the look was finished with black tights and a pair of black heels, rather similar to Sybil's.

Sybil hung around in the hall, knowing that there was no point in getting comfortable, as they would be getting picked up very soon. Gwen sauntered into the kitchen and returned with her own small clutch bag. As she stood opposite Sybil in the hall, she took Sybil's hand and placed it over her heart. Sybil could feel how fast Gwen's heart was racing. To comfort her, Sybil took Gwen's hand and put it over her own heart to show that she was in the same predicament.

"Thank God we're just as nervous as each other!" Gwen sighed. The girls both let out a nervous chuckle, which wasn't helped by the sound of the doorbell. They stared at each other and gave each other an encouraging look, as much for themselves as for each other.

Gwen walked towards the door, with Sybil staying behind, and found two men, clad in smart suits, waiting on her doorstep.

"You must be Gwen," the shorter of the two said. He was Irish. Sybil immediately looked up. She'd always found the Irish accent rather charming.

"Yes, I'm Gwen and this is Sybil," she said, gesturing back to her friend.

"I'm Tom," the Irish one said, "and this is William."

Sybil and Gwen stepped out of the house to kiss the men on the cheek in greeting. There were murmurs of _nice to meet you_ and such like before the group were all stood looking at each other.

Tom said, "We only have the one car, I'm afraid. Mine broke down yesterday, so we'll have to all be together."

"I'm sure we can manage that, can't we Sybil?" Gwen said cheerfully.

"We certainly can," Sybil agreed.

Gwen firmly closed her front door and they all piled into the car, the men kindly holding open the doors. It seemed appropriate that Sybil should sit in the front, as William was the driver and he was her date. Gwen and Tom sat in the back.

On the journey, the four of them chatted happily, and there was enough energy in the car to enable the group to laugh together. A mutual sense of humour always helped. The journey only took fifteen or twenty minutes, but Sybil noticed a great deal more than she thought she would in such a short amount of time. It seemed that William was quieter than Tom. Perhaps it was because he was driving, or maybe he was simply nervous. Tom was more than willing to give his opinions and wasn't frugal with his compliments both to Gwen and to Sybil. Gwen had asked him how long he'd spent in Ireland to have such a thick accent, and it didn't surprise Sybil that he only moved out of Ireland when it came to university – he'd gone to Durham. Clever. Hardworking. Potentially stuck up, though it didn't sound like he came from money. William had done an apprenticeship instead of going to university, which meant he was relatively high up in the culinary world for his age. To any outsider, Gwen would seem chatty, but Sybil noticed that she wasn't being as chatty as normal. Sybil knew that Gwen was nervous, but she couldn't tell whether her relative shyness was nerves or whether she was being quieter on purpose to avoid over facing her date; though it seemed that Tom was doing nothing to quieten his own thoughts.

Sybil and Gwen sat next to each other with their dates opposite them in the restaurant. Sybil and Gwen had chosen their meals carefully – they didn't know who would be paying, and they didn't want to break their dates, so they'd gone for a couple of the less dear options. The four of them looked right at home in the restaurant, all dressed in outfits fit to dine with the queen. Sybil's own upbringing had made her used to dining in such restaurants, but she had always preferred the option of an evening at home, wearing pyjamas, ordering take away and watching telly. Though nobody seeing Sybil tonight could have guessed that this style of life wasn't what she wanted. Deep down, Gwen was happier than Sybil in situations like this. Sybil could endure it once or twice a month, but Gwen could happily attend events like this once or twice a week, if she were given the opportunity.

As the group ate their (in Sybil's opinion, overpriced) meals, they began to get to know each other more. With the heightened volume of the room (deceptively quiet though it was), it was quite easy to lose oneself in one conversation while there was another taking place just inches away. Sybil and William were having one conversation with Tom and Gwen having another, each surprisingly private, given the near proximity.

"What year of your medical course are you in?" William asked Sybil across the table.

"Fifth; it's the last year at uni, but then I've got another two years of a foundation course."

"What on earth compelled you to become a doctor? Aren't the hours horrific?"

"They can be. But I've wanted to do it since I was in my teens and once I put my mind to something, I don't tend to let the idea slip past me easily," Sybil explained. "Why a chef, then? Those hours aren't great either, are they?" Sybil asked, bringing William's own question back on him.

At this point, Sybil glanced over at Tom and really noticed him for the first time that night. His eyes were a similar shade of blue to hers – bright blue in some lights and plain grey in others. Though she wasn't focused on what he was saying, she could hear the lilt of his Irish accent dancing over the table to reach Gwen's ears. His hair was a bit scruffy and he had a bit more stubble than was generally accepted in posh scenarios. Sybil guessed that posh wasn't really his style. She found herself wanting to find out more about him, despite the fact that he was here to be Gwen's date.

"…majority of us are, which makes for a lively atmosphere, even once it gets to the small hours of the morning," William said, finishing his answer to Sybil's question. She had been so engrossed in thinking about Tom that she had completely blanked out William. Sybil's eyes widened and her mind was working on overdrive to find something to say that would hide the fact that she had no idea what William was on about.

Luckily, Gwen grabbed her hand just then and muttered an 'excuse us' to the men, as she dragged Sybil out of her seat towards the bathroom. The two men looked at each other, a little bewildered.

"That's odd," William said, slightly confused at the sudden turn of events.

"Yeah, it seems like you and Sybil were getting along really well. She's gorgeous, don't you think?" Tom said.

"She's very clever, it seems. She's more opinionated than I would have thought, though. Kind of like you, actually. Political," William commented.

"Really? I can't quite believe that she can be so beautiful and so poised and yet be so like me," Tom commented with a chuckle. "Actually, Gwen comes from a similar background to you. She started doing odd jobs, but decided she wanted to be a secretary, so made it possible for herself. Apparently, nobody else in her family has a job like that. It was all her. She seems very independent. I think she'd suit you," Tom said, a tone of melancholy in his voice, knowing that Sybil hadn't been intended for him.

In the bathroom, Gwen turned to Sybil and let out a little excited shriek.

"Gwen, what are you doing?" Sybil asked, highly confused about the current situation.

"Sybil, he's perfect for you!" she said.

"What are you talking about?" Sybil asked, not wanting to think the best in case Gwen was talking about something other than Tom.

"You and Tom. Sweetie, we have to get you two together," Gwen said, taking Sybil's hands in hers.

"You know he's not my date, right?" Sybil said, ignoring the other women in the bathroom.

"I don't care! I noticed that he kept looking over at you, so I steered the conversation to ask him about things that he might have in common with you. And, oh, Sybil, he's political – the right sort of political for you – he writes political newspaper columns, he's clever and he… well, I can just see you and him gelling really well. Go on, Sybil, you've got to give it a try. I'll sit opposite William and get to know him instead," Gwen begged.

"Don't you think that's a bit unfair on William?" Sybil asked, ever the kind-hearted friend.

"You can't honestly tell me that you think you and him go well together. You've been talking politely, but there's no spark there. Go on, Syb, admit it," Gwen said, confidently.

"I suppose so. But this was your idea, so you can explain it to them," Sybil said firmly.

"Fine. Let me sort out my face and then we can go out again," Gwen replied.

The girls stood side by side in front of the large mirror and touched up their makeup before heading back out. Sybil almost wondered if Gwen could see her heart beating through the chiffon as they walked back to their table.

As they approached, Sybil slowed so that Gwen would be in front. Confrontation was something Sybil only did when she knew the other party. She'd found in the past that first dates and confrontations didn't tend to mix well.

"Guys, we were just thinking that we should swap. We both think that Sybil would be better suited to Tom and William and I would get on better," Gwen said, outwardly confident and inwardly terrified.

"We were just discussing the same thing, actually," William said.

"You were?" Sybil said, accidentally letting her thoughts slip past her lips.

"Yes, we were," Tom said. "We'd be delighted to swap dates," he added, in a mock posh voice. Sybil rolled her eyes in amusement and the girls swapped seats.

Over chocolate fudge cake, Sybil found that Gwen was absolutely right. She and Tom were much better suited than she and William. At a glance a medical student and a journalist shouldn't have anything in common, but below the surface, they were similar in many ways. Interest in politics and the intense pull of curiosity seemed to be the two largest similarities. Sybil found that she trusted him. He was the sort of person who silently encouraged Sybil to open up, which was rare for anyone. Sybil rarely felt comfortable enough to reveal so much about herself, especially on a first date. She and Tom just _clicked_. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was that made them so good for each other, but it was definitely something special.

After they left the restaurant, they all piled back into William's car, this time with Sybil sitting in the back with Tom and Gwen sitting in the passenger seat. Sybil took Tom's hand and spent most of the journey back staring at him, despite the darkness that came with the late hour. He didn't argue; rather, he took it as permission to stare back at her. Few words were exchanged between the two and they somehow managed to ignore the laughter from the front of the car. Yes, things were definitely better this way round. Gwen and William. Sybil and Tom. It all fit together quite nicely.

They arrived back at Gwen's and William showed Gwen to the door to say goodnight. Tom and Sybil stayed on the pavement at the end of the drive.

"How are you getting home?" Tom asked kindly.

"I don't know. I hadn't really made a plan for that one," Sybil said, conscious of her blushing cheeks, despite the dark night sky.

"How far away do you live? Could I walk you home?" Tom asked.

"Fifteen minutes in the car. I was thinking I might crash here. Or I'll get a taxi home and come back tomorrow to collect my car," she said.

"Why don't I pay for a taxi back to yours and I'll come with you to make sure you arrive home safe and sound?" Tom suggested.

"Alright," Sybil said, not sure what else to say.

"Hang on then, I'll tell William that he can go on without us," he said as he turned to walk up the drive to find his friend. Sybil bit her lip and turned away from the house, looking down at the pavement. This was turning out to be a much better night than she had originally expected.

Before Tom came back, she pulled her thoughts together enough to wave down a taxi and gave her home address to the driver. When Tom returned, he opened her door for her and then rushed to the other side of the car to get in next to her.

Sybil stared across at him for a while before saying, "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Paying for a taxi to take me home. I would have been fine sleeping at Gwen's tonight."

He shrugged. "The more time I get to spend with you, the better."

"You know," Sybil admitted, "I didn't want to come on this date. I've only ever been on one other blind date and it couldn't have gone worse."

"Well, I hope this one's made up for it," he said softly.

"This one couldn't have gone better," Sybil said with a smile forming on her lips. She softly squeezed his hand and he squeezed back with a smile.

Before they knew it, they were outside Sybil's house. Tom paid the driver and walked Sybil to her front door. He noticed the way the dress really flowed behind her when she walked. She really was completely stunning.

"That was one of the best first dates I've ever been on," Sybil said, turning back to look at Tom.

"One of?" Tom asked cockily.

"Well, I'm not sure it can reach number one when I started with the wrong man!" Sybil laughed.

"Fair enough," Tom smiled. "You're beautiful, Sybil."

"Thank you, Tom," she said. She was about to say something else when Tom interrupted her.

"May I kiss you?"

Her thoughts stopped in their tracks and she looked at him for longer than was probably necessary. But never in her life had she wanted to hear a question so badly. She took his cheek in one hand and placed her lips gently on his. His hands went straight to her waist and he responded accordingly to the movements of her mouth against his.

As they reluctantly parted, Sybil said, "How are you going to get home?"

"I live a few minutes' walk away," he said gently, not letting go of her waist.

"Shame," Sybil said with an overdramatic expression. "I was going to invite you in."

"Well, you…" Tom stuttered.

"I'm joking! Do you want to come in or not?"

"That would be lovely," Tom said, relieved at the outcome.

Sybil turned to unlock her door and walked in with Tom trailing behind her. She really wasn't sure how the night would end, but she could sense that from here on in, everything about this relationship was going to get better and better.


End file.
